101 Fabulous Freebies That Will Bring Joy to Your Budget

How would you like to have a free checking account or free money for retirement? What about free food on your birthday, free Godiva chocolates every month, freebies for Mother’s Day, or free gas money every week? How about free college tuition for your children, free credit reports, free directory assistance, freebies from Starbucks, free auto services, free baby samples, freebies at your neighborhood public library, free tax prep, or free food apps? If you like free stuff, here are over 100 fabulous freebies that will bring joy to your budget.

Author’s note: Although I have made every effort to provide you with accurate, timely, and trustworthy information, I cannot guarantee that such information is correct, effective, or up-to-date at the time of your access.

Free Money for Retirement:

Contribute to your employer's 401(k). In 2017, you can contribute up to $18,000 annually into your employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. If you turn 50 at any time during 2017, you can contribute an additional $6,000 for a total contribution of $24,000. However, the total contribution between you and your employer cannot exceed $53,000.

Here are three benefits of saving for retirement using your company's 401(k):

Your contributions are made with pre-tax dollars, thus lowering your taxable income for each year you contribute.

The money you contribute to a 401(k), along with its earnings, grows tax free until you begin to withdraw.

Most 401(k) plans also include a matching contribution from your employer (a.k.a. free money).

If you cannot contribute the max to your 401(k), contribute enough to receive your employer's matching contribution. According to the 401k Help Center, “The average company contribution in 401k plans is 2.7% of pay. Numerous formulas are used to determine company contributions. The most common type of fixed match, reported by 40% of employer's, is $.50 per $1.00 up to a specified percentage of pay (commonly 6%).”

Let’s say that you earn $50,000 a year, contribute 10% to a 401(k), and receive a 50% match from your employer of up to 6% of your salary. Here is how your annual contribution and match break down:

Flexible Spending Accounts:

If your employer has a flexible spending account, don't lose another dollar and use it. A flexible spending account--also known as an FSA--is a tax-advantaged plan that allows you to set aside a portion of your earnings to pay for qualified expenses such as medical and dependent care. Money deposited into a flexible spending account is not subject to payroll taxes, thus saving you money.

Companies typically offer three types of flexible spending accounts:

Medical spending accounts

Dependent-care spending accounts

Commuter spending accounts

With a medical spending account, you can set aside money to help pay for routine items such as health insurance copays for uninsured treatments such as vision care or for over-the-counter drug purchases. With a dependent-care spending account, you can set aside money to help pay for costs associated with putting the kids in day care so that you and your spouse can work. With a commuter spending account, you can utilize pre-tax dollars to pay for public transportation and parking expenses that you incur getting to and from work.

Here are some examples of eligible expenses for a medical FSA:

Dental treatment

Eye exams

Hearing aids

Lab fees

Physical exams

Vision correction surgery

X-rays

Here are some examples of eligible expenses for a dependent-care FSA:

Before and after school care

Babysitting fees that are work-related

Day care expenses

Here are some examples of eligible expenses for a commuter FSA:

Mass transit fares, including tickets, passes, tokens, vouchers, and other fares for riding buses, trains, or other public transportation vehicles to and from work

Official vanpool fees

Parking fees (including parking meters) at or near your place of work

Parking fees at a location from which you commute to your work place via mass transportation

Free Tax Preparation:

Here are four places where you can file your federal and state income taxes for free:

Credit Karma – There are no income limitations for federal and state returns.

The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs - FoxBusiness.com tells us that “VITA provides free tax help to people who earn less than $54,000, or who have disabilities or limited English speaking abilities. Elderly filers can get help through the TCE program, which is specifically designed for people who are 60 years of age or older. TCE specializes in tax issues related to retirement, pensions, Social Security, or other retirement-age tax concerns, making it a great resource for new and longtime retirees.” In 2015, over 3.7 million tax returns were filed through these programs.

TurboTax – Their Federal Free Edition is available only for 1040EZ or 1040A, which are simplified tax returns.

Free Credit Reports and Scores:

Be sure to get copies of your credit reports and scores at least twice a year. This helps to detect identity theft early and to correct inaccuracies that might have been caused by a clerical error or computer glitch. To get your free Equifax and TransUnion credit reports and scores, go to CreditKarma.com. Your reports and scores are updated daily. To get your free Experian credit report and score, go to FreeCreditReport.com. Like Equifax and TransUnion, Experian updates your report and score every day.

You should also get a free copy of your Chex Systems report at least once a year. Chex Systems is a consumer credit reporting agency that identifies consumers who have a history of fraudulent behavior with traditional checking accounts. ChexSystems reports include unpaid fees from overdrafts, checks bounced at retailers and other companies, check orders at banks, credit unions, and third-party companies, credit inquiries, and consumer-initiated credit freezes. About 80% of banks and credit unions use ChexSystems reports to assess the potential risks of having an account applicant as a customer.

Unlike credit reports and scores, ChexSystems reports are not available for online viewing. In addition, it could take up to 10 business days for you to receive your report by snail mail.

Free or Low-Cost Checking Accounts:

Here is a list of banks and credit unions that offer free or low-cost checking:

Alliant Credit Union

Ally Bank

Aspiration Summit

BBVA Compass

BankMobile

Bank of Internet USA Rewards Checking

Capital One 360

Chime Spending Account

Discover Cashback Checking

EverBank

First Internet Bank

GoBank

Mutual of Omaha Bank

Radius Bank

Salem Five Direct

Schwab Bank

Simple.com

State Farm Bank Checking Account

UFB Direct

USAA Federal Savings Bank

Free College Money:

What is the price tag for a college education in the USA? The College Board confirms that the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2015–2016 school year was $32,405 at private colleges, $9,410 for state residents at public colleges, and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.

Here are 24 tuition-free colleges and universities:

Alice Lloyd College – Kentucky

Barclay College - Kansas

Berea College – Kentucky

Blackburn College - Illinois

College of the Ozarks – Missouri

Cooper Union – New York City

CUNY Teacher Academy - New York City

Curtis Institute of Music – Pennsylvania

Deep Springs College – California

Ecclesia College – Arkansas

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering - Massachusetts

Macaulay Honors College at CUNY – New York City

Sterling College - Vermont

UC Irvine School of Law - California

United States Air Force Academy - Colorado

United States Coast Guard Academy - Connecticut

United States Merchant Marine Academy - New York

United States Military Academy - New York

United States Naval Academy – Maryland

University of Washington - Washington

Warren Wilson College – North Carolina

Washington State University - Washington

Williamson College of the Trades - Pennsylvania

Webb Institute - New York

You can also receive free college scholarship and financial aid information at Scholarships.com.

Here are some examples of free college money:

Federal Pell Grants

State grants. Most states have some sort of free money program for higher education.

Scholarships from the college or university itself.

Community-based scholarship programs like The Pittsburgh Promise.

Free Money for Gas:

Shop at supermarkets that have fuel perks programs. You can save 10 - 20 cents off a gallon of gas for every $100 you spend on groceries, prescriptions, and qualifying gift cards.

Here is a comprehensive list of grocery store fuel perks programs:

Acme - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your savings at Sunoco stations on up to 25 gallons of gas.

Albertsons – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your perks at Texaco and Chevron stations.

BP Driver Rewards – Receive 10 cents off per gallon—up to 20 gallons--for every $100 spent on BP fuel. You can also link your BP Driver Rewards to a qualified credit or debit card. When you use it to pay at the pump, you’ll earn rewards automatically.

Cub Foods - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can fill up at participating Holiday stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Dillions, Food 4 Less, JayC, King Soopers, Ralphs, and Smith’s Food & Drug – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 that you spend on groceries, airline cards, and no-contract wireless phones. You can fill up at participating Shell stations on up to 35 gallons.

Dillions, Food 4 Less, JayC, King Soopers, Ralphs, and Smith’s Food & Drug are all members of the Kroger family of stores.

Food City – Earn 15 cents off per gallon for every $150 spent. You can redeem your savings at Gas n’ Go stations.

Fred Meyer - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your perks at Shell and Fred Meyer stations on up to 35 gallons of gas.

Fry’s Food – Get 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can fill up at participating Circle K and Shell stations.

Giant Eagle – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $50 you spend at Giant Eagle, GetGo, Market District, or Giant Eagle Express. You can earn fuel perks by purchasing groceries and health and beauty aids, having prescriptions filled, buying gift cards, and by using Giant Eagle’s dry cleaning, shirt laundry, and photo services. You can redeem your savings at GetGo stations on up to 20 gallons of gas. (By the way, this is one of the best fuel perks programs around.)

Giant Food Gas Rewards – Receive one point for every dollar spent with your Giant Card. Once you earn 100 points, you’ll receive 10 cents off per gallon of gas at a Giant or participating Shell station. Points are valid for 30 days.

HyVee Fuel Saver + Perks - Earn discounts at the pump when you purchase designated products at Hy-Vee stores. Your rewards can be redeemed at Hy-Vee fuel stations as well as at participating Shell stations.

Ingles – Earn five cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your perks at Ingles stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Jewel-Osco - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent on groceries and prescriptions. Fuel perks expire at the end of the month following the one in which they were earned. For example, rewards earned in August can be used through the end of September. You can redeem your perks at participating Shell stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Kroger – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can earn fuel perks by purchasing groceries and health and beauty aids, having prescriptions filled, buying gift cards, and completing customer satisfaction surveys. Fuel perks expire at the end of the month following the one in which they were earned. For example, rewards earned in September can be used through the end of October. You can fill up at Shell and Kroger stations on up to 35 gallons of gas.

Lassus Handy Dandy Rewards – Receive 500 points just for signing up. Receive 10 points for every gallon of gas paid for at the pump and 20 points for every dollar spent in the store. The points you earn can be used for gas discounts as well as for gift cards and merchandise. This program is very similar to Speedway’s.

Market 32 – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your savings at Sunoco stations.

Pay Less Supermarkets - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your perks at Shell gas stations.

Price Chopper – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can fill up at Sunoco stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Quality Food Centers (QFC) - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your savings at participating Shell stations.

Redner’s Pump Perks – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your perks at Sunoco stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Safeway, Carrs, Pavillions, Randall's, Tom Thumb, and Von's – Receive one point for every dollar spent on groceries, two points for every dollar spent on qualifying gift cards, and one point for every dollar spent on pharmacy items. Once you earn 100 points, you’ll receive 10 cents off per gallon of gas up to 20 gallons at Safeway fuel stations or at participating Sunoco stations.

There are now over 1,300 Safeway stores in the USA including:

266 Safeway stores in Northern California and Hawaii

273 Vons stores in Southern California and Nevada

26 Pavillions stores in Southern California

107 Randalls and Tom Thumb stores in Texas

28 Carrs stores in Alaska

66 Safeway stores in Maryland, 41 in Virginia, 14 in Washington, D.C., and four in Delaware.

Save Mart Gas Rewards - Earn 5 cents off per gallon for every $50 spent, 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent, etc. Fuel perks expire at the end of the month following the one in which they were earned. For example, rewards earned in September can be used through the end of October. You can fill up at Shell stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Shaw’s – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your savings at Sunoco stations on up to 25 gallons of gas.

Shell Fuel Rewards Program – You can save five cents per gallon of gas when you fill up at participating Shell stations. According to Shell, here’s how the program works:

The five cents per gallon reward for Gold Status will be combined with other rewards in your Fuel Rewards® account.

Shop ‘n Save – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $50 you spend. You can redeem your perks at Sunoco stations on up to 30 gallons of gas. (This is also one of the best fuel perks programs around.)

Speedway (Speedy Rewards) - Earn 20 points per dollar spent for in-store purchases and 10 points per dollar spent at the pump. Points can be redeemed for free stuff like food, beverages, or fuel discounts.

Star Market - Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can fill up at Sunoco stations on up to 25 gallons of gas.

Stop & Shop – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your savings at Shell and Stop & Shop stations.

Walmart partners with Murphy USA gas stations (not Murphy Express) to save you three cents per gallon when you pay with a Walmart gift card, Walmart MoneyCard, or Walmart MasterCard or Visa.

Weis Markets - Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $50 spent. This is double of what you would earn at most other fuel perks programs. You can redeem your perks at participating Sheetz stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

(Author’s note: Fuel perks’ terms and conditions can change at any time and without notice. In addition, BI-LO and Winn-Dixie both discontinued their fuel perks programs in 2017.)

In addition, Gas Price Watch lets you text your zip code to gas@fuelgo.com. They will respond with the names and addresses of the cheapest places to buy gas in your area. You can also use the AAA Triptik or GasBuddy apps on your smartphone to find the cheapest gas prices in your locale. (According to GasBuddy.com, there is a 65% chance that you will find the best prices at the gas pump on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Freebies at Your Neighborhood Public Library:

There are over 17,000 public libraries in the United States. Not only can you borrow books, CDs, and DVDs, but you can also take advantage of the free services that many public libraries offer:

Computer, yoga, self-improvement, and foreign language classes

Films and lectures

Book discussions and story telling

Poetry readings

Internet access on public computers

Book-of-the-month clubs

Musical and theatrical events

Job and career development services

Art exhibits

Workshops for musicians

Literacy training for people of all ages

Creative writing workshops

Sewing, knitting, jewelry-making, and other craft classes

Blanket and quilting brigades

Exercise groups. Start moving while enjoying the company of others.

Conversation salons

Literacy tutor training

Commemorative sections. For example, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a Pennsylvania Room. It features a vast collection of archives and memorabilia of the Keystone State.

In addition, some public libraries sell gently-used CDs, DVDs, and books that are donated by Friends of the Library. The funds raised from the donations go towards library programs and events. For example, the Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has thousands of gently-used or never-used books, CDs, and DVDs on sale for as little as 50 cents apiece. Book topics include:

Animals

Black studies

Commerce & finance

Cooking & gardening

English grammar & composition

Fiction

Film & theatre

Art & music

History

Judaica

Mystery & thriller

Non-fiction

Parenting

Reference (dictionaries, thesauri, etc.)

Religion & Philosophy

Science & medicine

Science fiction

Self-help

Travel

The public library is a busy place. Stop in the next time you are in the neighborhood.

Free Music, Television Shows, Movies, and Games:

1. You can listen to free music at Pandora.com. Here are some of their popular music genres:

80’s Hip Hop

Afrobeat

Bachata

Bachata Dominicana

Baroque

Beach Bar Lounge

Blues

Boleros

Brazilian

Chillstep

Classical

Classical Guitar

Contemporary Gospel

Corridos

Drum & Bass

Dub

Flamenco

Gospel

Grupero

Hair Bands

Hindi Bollywood Hits

Hipster BBQ

Hipster Cocktail Party

Hotel Costes

Indie Dance

Indie Rock

Jewish Comedy

Laid Back Beach Music

Latin

Lite Rock Songwriters

Lite Rock and Pop Hits

Lowrider Oldies

Mariachi

New Orleans Jazz

Norteno

Progressive House

Punjabi Hits

Quinceanera

Reggae Rock

Salsa Puertorriquena

Salsa de Nueva York

Slow Jams

Southern Hip Hop

Today's Gospel

Today's R&B and Old School

Toddler

Yoga

2. You can also listen to free music on YouTube. Recently, I typed in “listen to Haight Ashbury Craig Chaquico” into Google. (For those who don’t know, Craig Chaquico is a famous smooth jazz artist and “Haight Ashbury” is one of his most popular recordings.) The first organic search result took me to a page on YouTube where I instantly listened to my search request. This recording was followed by selections from more smooth jazz artists and groups including Marion Meadows, Peter White, Fourplay, Ronny Jordan, Norman Brown, Boney James, Keiko Matsui, Jazzmasters, Sade, and more.

3. ff Comcast is your cable provider, you can listen to free music through their Music Choice network. Genres include:

70’s

80’s

90’s

Adult Alternative

Alternative

Blues

Classic Country

Classic Rock

Classical Masterpieces

Contemporary Christian

Country Hits

Dance/EDM

Easy Listening

Gold Oldies

Gospel

Hip-Hop Classics

Hip-Hop and R&B

Indie

Jazz

Kidz Only

Light Classical

Love Songs

Metal

Mexicana

Musica Urbana

Party Favorites

Pop & Country

Pop Hits

Pop Latino

R&B Classics

R&B Soul

Rap

Reggae

Rock

Rock Hits

Romances

Singers & Swing

Smooth Jazz

Soft Rock

Sounds of the Season

Soundscapes

State & Screen

Teen Beats

Throwback Jamz

Today’s Country

Toddler Tunes

Tropicales

Y2K

4. You can watch free television shows and movies on Google Play. Here are some of the free television shows that you can watch:

Bachelor in Paradise

Bachelor in Paradise

Big Brother

Bob’s Burgers

Bones

CSI

Castle

Chicago Fire

Claws

Criminal Minds

ER

Everybody Loves Raymond

Family Guy

Fixer Upper

Golden Girls

Gotham

Grey’s Anatomy

Hell’s Kitchen

House

Humans

King of the Hill

Law & Order

Modern Family

NCIS

NCIS: Los Angeles

Sesame Street

The Bachelorette

The Big Bang Theory

The Mentalist

The Simpsons

The Sopranos

The X-Files

Will & Grace

5. An Amazon Prime subscription gives you access to free movies, television shows, and music streaming.

6. You can also watch free television on YouTube.

7. To play free games online, go to OnlineFun.com. Here are their categories and games:

Free Mahjong Gardens games:

Al Capone Mahjong

Crystal Mahjong

Free Mahjong

Indian Mahjong

Jade Shadow Mahjong

Mahjong Chain

Mahjong Fun

Mahjong Gardens

Mahjong Golden Path

Mahjong Mix

Mahjong Tower

Sichuan Mahjong

Taipei

Tea Mahjong

Word Mahjong

Free puzzle games:

Ancient Jewels 2

Bedazzled

Bejeweled Twist

Bubble Breaker

Candy Crush

Casual Chess

Chess

Chess 3d

Drop Blocks

Jewel Quest

Jungle Madness

Puzzle Bubble

Sea Treasure

Shoot the Gems

Tough Chess

Free sports games:

8 Ball Pool

8 Ball Pool Multiplayer

American 8 Ball Pool

Billiards

Bowling Girl Dress Up

Bowling Mania

Disco Bowling

Extreme Bowling Blast

Flash Golf

Forest Lake Fishing

Go Fishing

Holiday Golf

Lake Fishing

League Bowling

Penthouse Pool 3d

Pool Master

Pool Shark

Real Pool

Sea Fishing

Sea Fishing

Sea Fishing Tropical

Supreme Golf

Ten Pin Bowling

Free girl games:

Barbie Nail

Cheesecake Flag Cake

Chocolate Royal Cake

Elsa Beauty Salon

Elsa Fashion Day

Feeding the Baby

Mini Nail Fashion

Miss Diamond Nails

Sky Girl Beauty

Free kids games:

Bedazzled

Bubble Breaker

Chocolate Royal Cake

Crazy Car Parking

Drop Blocks

Jewel Puzzle

Jungle Madness

Puzzle Bubble

Sea Treasure

Spiderman Wanted 2

Free multiplayer games:

Agaf.io

Karnage.io

Slither.io

Snakes 3d

Splix.io

Superhex.io

Tankwars.io

Tanx

Free racing games:

Crazy Car Parking

Dirt Racing

Fast and Furious

Free Gear

Grand Police Escape

Mad Trucker

Midnight Race

Monster Truck Assault

Police Run

Free shooting games:

Battle Tank

Deer Hunter

Hunting Season

Modern War

Supreme Deer Hunting

Free Groceries, Coupons, Godiva Chocolates, etc.:

1. Here are 14 websites where you can score lots of free stuff including free groceries:

AllYou.com – Get 59 birthday freebies as well as coupons for groceries and household items. Be sure to read their articles on “45 Uses for Vinegar” and “Super Cheap Meals: $1 or Less!”

Coupons.com – Find coupons on over 2,000 brands for everything from laundry detergent to canned tomatoes.

FreakyFreddies.com - Here are some of their categories:

Free Baby Stuff

Free Beauty Samples

Free Calendars

Free Car Stuff

Free CDs & DVDs

Free Cleaning Supplies

Free Computer Stuff

Free Electronics

Free Food Samples

Free Health Samples

Free Household Stuff

Free Jewelry

Free Kids Stuff

Free Magazines

Free Outdoor Stuff

Free Perfume Samples

Free Pet Supplies

Free Posters

Free Software

Free Sports Freebies

Free Travel Supplies

Free Vitamin Supplements

FreeSamples.org – Get free beauty, food, health, household, and pet samples. You can also receive free household and restaurant coupons.

Get a free piece of chocolate every month at participating Godiva boutiques. To qualify, sign up for Godiva’s Chocolate Rewards Club at Godiva.com/get-rewards

2. Here is a partial list of companies that will send manufacturer’s coupons to those who ask. According to BecomeACouponQueen.com, “Many companies will send you coupons if you simply ask for them. Call or email them and tell them how much you love their product and ask if they have any coupons they could send you.”

8 O’Clock Coffee - (800) 299-2739

Aleve

Alka Seltzer

Angel Soft Bath Tissue

Apple & Eve

Armour-Eckrich

Balmex

Bar-S - (800) 699-4115

Better Oats - (866) 888-8757

Bigelow Tea

Birds Eye

Blistex

Blue Bunny Ice Cream

Bolthouse Farms - (800) 467-4683

Breyer’s

Bush Brothers

Campbell’s Soup

Carnation Instant Breakfast

Celestial Seasonings

Challenge Butter

Chiquita

Chobani

Clorox

Coffee-Mate Creamers - (800) 637-8534

Cottonelle

Crayola

Crisco

Dannon Yogurt

Del Monte - (800) 543-3090

DiGiorno

Dial Soap

Dole Fruit

Dove

Duncan Hines

Enfamil - (800) BABY123

Florida’s Natural Juice

Folgers

Freschetta

Fresh Express

Gerber - (800) 284-9488

Glad

Glade

Hefty

Hillshire Farms

Huggies - (888) 525-8388

Hungry Jack

Hunt’s

Iams Pet Food

Johnson & Johnson - (800) 526-3967

Johnsonville - (888) 556-2728

Kashi

Kellogg’s Cereals

Ken’s Dressing

Kimberly-Clark - (888) 525-8388

Kotex

Kraft

Lance Snacks

Land O Lakes

Lea & Perrins

Lindsay Olives

Lipton

Lucky Leaf

McCormick

Motrin

Mott’s

Neutrogena

Ore-Ida

Oscar Mayer - (847) 646-2000

Palermo’s Pizza

Pampers

Pepperidge Farms

Perdue - (800) 473-7383

Proctor & Gamble - (800) 331-3774

Purex - (800) 457-8739

Purina

Rayovac Batteries

Rhodes Rolls

Sara Lee

Sargento Cheese

Schick Razors

Scott Paper Products

Sea Pak Shrimp

Smucker’s - (888) 550-9555

Snyder’s of Hanover

Starkist

Stoneyfield

Sunsweet

Sweet Baby Ray’s - (877) 729-2229

Turkey Hill - (800) MY-DAIRY

Tylenol

Tyson

Uncle Ben’s

Welch’s

Zatarain’s

3. Before you go to the grocery store, be sure to read your supermarket's advertising circular. Plan your shopping around what is on sale. Always take advantage of "buy one, get one free" offers, especially on big-ticket items like vitamins and meat.

Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle recently had a "buy one, get one free" sale that was hard to beat. Here are some of the items that were featured: boneless center cut pork chops, roasting chickens, fresh broccoli and mushrooms, liquid laundry detergent, 24-packs of AA batteries, disposable razors, solid and gel deodorant, body wash, thin crust pizza, country French bread from the bakery, sandwich buns, turkey franks, mustard, marinades, and long grain rice.

In addition, find out how your supermarket calculates "buy one, get one free" offers. Some supermarkets and drug stores require you to buy both items in order to get them at the "buy one, get one free" price. If you buy just one, you automatically pay the regular price instead of 50% off.

For example, if you purchase one unit of a BOGO promotion at Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle, you will pay 50% of the regular retail price. On the other hand, if you purchase one unit of a BOGO offer at CVS, you will automatically pay regular retail.

4. Combine manufacturer's coupons with advertised specials. If your supermarket doubles coupons up to 99 cents, combining them with weekly specials can save you even more money. Here's an example:

Suppose that the regular price for a six-ounce size of brand-name yogurt is 75 cents. It goes on sale for 50 cents, a savings of 25 cents per cup.

You have four manufacturer's coupons, each for 40 cents off when you buy four yogurt cups. Let's say that you buy 16 yogurt cups and use all four coupons.

At the regular price, you would pay $12.00 for the 16 yogurt cups (16 x 75 cents = $12.00). With the weekly special of 25 cents off per yogurt, you save $4.00 when you buy 16 cups (25 cents x 16 = $4.00).

Your total savings with the weekly special and doubled coupons are $7.20 ($4.00 + $3.20).

5. Some supermarkets give you credit (a.k.a. free money) for using your own bags. Here are eight retailers that reward you for bringing your own bags:

Brookshire’s - Bring in reusable grocery bags and receive a $0.05 discount per bag with no bag number limit.

Foodland - Bring in reusable grocery bags and receive a $0.05 discount per bag with no bag number limit.

Kroger (Ralphs, Tom Thumb, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, QFC, and Fry’s) - Some locations will give you five fuel points for every reusable bag you bring in to use with a 10 bag limit per shopping trip.

Lowe’s Foods - Bring in reusable grocery bags and receive a $0.05 discount per bag with a 20 bag limit.

Reasor’s Foods - Bring in reusable grocery bags and receive a $0.06 discount per bag with no bag number limit.

Target - Bring in reusable bags and receive a $0.05 discount per bag.

Trader Joe’s - Some locations give you a $0.05 discount for each reusable bag you bring in to use.

6. Many grocery stores have e-coupons on their web sites that you can download to your loyalty cards. There is nothing to clip or print. Just click on the coupons you want, use your loyalty card at checkout, and save.

7. Many drug and grocery stores give you free money just for getting a flu shot. At Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle, customers who get a flu shot and have a Giant Eagle rewards card receive a $5 grocery credit.

Free e-Coupons from SavingStar.com:

Join over three million people who use SavingStar e-coupons at over 25,000 grocery and drug store locations throughout the country. Here's how it works:

-- On the SavingStar.com web site, select the e-coupons you want and link them to the grocery and drug store loyalty cards that you have registered with SavingStar.

-- Use your loyalty card at the checkstand. The total on your receipt does not change at checkout and the savings are not printed on the receipt. Your money is added to your SavingStar account within 2-22 days depending on the store where you shopped. Saving Star notifies you by email when your account has been credited.

-- Once your savings reach $5.00, you can choose from these payout options:

A deposit into your bank or PayPal account

An Amazon gift card

A donation to charity

-- Please note that if your SavingStar account is inactive for 12 months in a row, a $1.99 monthly fee will be debited against any savings that you have accumulated. According to SavingStar, you must only do one of the following once a year in order to keep your account active:

Redeem an offer

Activate an offer

Pick a payout.

-- SavingStar adds new e-coupons every week on the brands you love. Here are some of the participating labels:

(Author's note: The preceding list has been made available courtesy of SavingStar.com.)

* This is a receipt-scan store that requires the SavingStar mobile app for iPhone or Android.

Free Food on Your Birthday:

Here are more than 50 restaurants that will give you free food or beverages on your birthday. Please note that offers vary by location and that many restaurants require you to sign up for their loyalty program or register with them first in order to receive your birthday freebie. I also suggest that you call the restaurant ahead to make sure that the offer is still valid.

Alfy's Pizza

Applebee's

Arby’s

Au Bon Pain

Austin Grill

Bakers Square

Banjara Indian Cuisine

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

Benihana

Black Angus Steakhouse

Bob Evans

Bob's Big Boy

Bruegger’s

Burger King

Charlie Brown's Restaurant

Charlie's Seafood

Cheesecake Factory

Chevy’s Fresh Mex

Coldstone Creamery

Crazy Buffet

Dairy Queen

Dave and Busters

Denny’s

Dunkin’ Donuts

Einstein’s Bagels

Ernie's Steakhouse

Fuddruckers

Grillfish

Hard Rock Cafe

Hometown Buffet

Hooters

IHOP

Johnny Rockets

King Buffet

Longhorn Steakhouse

Marie Calenders

Max and Irma

Mexican Village

Noodles & Company

Olive Garden

Outback Steakhouse

Panera Bread

Perkins

Pizza Express

Ponderosa

Quizno’s

Red Robin

Rock Bottom

Roundtable

Ruby Tuesday

Sizzler

Starbucks

Steak and Ale

Steak ‘n Shake

The Loft

Tony Roma's

Uno Pizzeria

Wendy’s

Zio's

Free Food Apps:

Here are 15 food apps that will give you freebies and discounts just for signing up or after making a minimum purchase. Please be aware that offers vary by location and are subject to change without notice.

Over 80 Examples of Free Customer Rewards Programs:and How They Work:

Acme - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your savings at Sunoco stations on up to 25 gallons of gas.

Albertsons – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your perks at Texaco and Chevron stations.

Cub Foods - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can fill up at participating Holiday stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Dillions, Food 4 Less, JayC, King Soopers, Ralphs, and Smith’s Food & Drug – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 that you spend on groceries, airline cards, and no-contract wireless phones. You can fill up at participating Shell stations on up to 35 gallons.

Dillions, Food 4 Less, JayC, King Soopers, Ralphs, and Smith’s Food & Drug are all members of the Kroger family of stores.

Food City – Earn 15 cents off per gallon for every $150 spent. You can redeem your savings at Gas n’ Go stations.

Fred Meyer - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your perks at Shell and Fred Meyer stations on up to 35 gallons of gas.

Fry’s Food – Get 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can fill up at participating Circle K and Shell stations.

Giant Eagle – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $50 you spend at Giant Eagle, GetGo, Market District, or Giant Eagle Express. You can earn fuel perks by purchasing groceries and health & beauty aids, having prescriptions filled, buying gift cards, and by using Giant Eagle’s dry cleaning, shirt laundry, and photo services. You can redeem your savings at GetGo stations on up to 20 gallons of gas. (By the way, this is one of the best fuel perks programs around.)

Giant Food Gas Rewards – Receive one point for every dollar spent with your Giant Card. Once you earn 100 points, you’ll receive 10 cents off per gallon of gas at a Giant or participating Shell station. Points are valid for 30 days.

HyVee Fuel Saver + Perks - Earn discounts at the pump when you purchase designated products at Hy-Vee stores. Your rewards can be redeemed at Hy-Vee fuel stations as well as at participating Shell stations.

Ingles – Earn five cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your perks at Ingles stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Jewel-Osco - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent on groceries and prescriptions. Fuel perks expire at the end of the month following the one in which they were earned. For example, rewards earned in August can be used through the end of September. You can redeem your perks at participating Shell stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Kroger – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can earn fuel perks by purchasing groceries and health & beauty aids, having prescriptions filled, buying gift cards, and completing customer satisfaction surveys. Fuel perks expire at the end of the month following the one in which they were earned. For example, rewards earned in September can be used through the end of October. You can fill up at Shell and Kroger stations on up to 35 gallons of gas.

Market 32 – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your savings at Sunoco stations.

Pay Less Supermarkets - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your perks at Shell gas stations.

Price Chopper – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can fill up at Sunoco stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Quality Food Centers (QFC) - Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your savings at participating Shell stations.

Redner’s Pump Perks – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your perks at Sunoco stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Safeway, Carrs, Pavillions, Randall's, Tom Thumb, and Von's – Receive one point for every dollar spent on groceries, two points for every dollar spent on qualifying gift cards, and one point for every dollar spent on pharmacy items. Once you earn 100 points, you’ll receive 10 cents off per gallon of gas up to 20 gallons at Safeway fuel stations or at participating Sunoco stations.

There are now over 1,300 Safeway stores in the USA including:

266 Safeway stores in Northern California and Hawaii

273 Vons stores in Southern California and Nevada

26 Pavillions stores in Southern California

107 Randalls and Tom Thumb stores in Texas

28 Carrs stores in Alaska

66 Safeway stores in Maryland, 41 in Virginia, 14 in Washington, D.C., and four in Delaware.

Save Mart Gas Rewards - Earn 5 cents off per gallon for every $50 spent, 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent, etc. Fuel perks expire at the end of the month following the one in which they were earned. For example, rewards earned in September can be used through the end of October. You can fill up at Shell stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

Shaw’s – Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can redeem your savings at Sunoco stations on up to 25 gallons of gas.

Shop ‘n Save – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $50 you spend. You can redeem your perks at Sunoco stations on up to 30 gallons of gas. (This is also one of the best fuel perks programs around.)

Star Market - Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 spent. You can fill up at Sunoco stations on up to 25 gallons of gas.

Stop & Shop – Receive 10 cents off per gallon for every $100 you spend. You can redeem your savings at Shell and Stop & Shop stations.

Walmart partners with Murphy USA gas stations (not Murphy Express) to save you three cents per gallon when you pay with a Walmart gift card, Walmart MoneyCard, or Walmart MasterCard or Visa.

Weis Markets - Earn 10 cents off per gallon for every $50 spent. This is double of what you would earn at most other fuel perks programs. You can redeem your perks at participating Sheetz stations on up to 20 gallons of gas.

(Author’s note: Fuel perks’ terms and conditions can change at any time and without notice. In addition, BI-LO and Winn-Dixie both discontinued their fuel perks programs in 2017.)

Autozone Rewards – Earn a $20 reward when you make five purchases of $20 or more. Please note that rewards expire in three months.

Best Buy Rewards – Receive 2.5 points for every $1 spent when you use the My Best Buy Credit Card. Earn 0.5 points for every $1 that you spend using any other form of payment. Once you reach 250 points, you’ll receive a $5 reward certificate.

Bloomingdale’s Loyallist Program – Receive one point for every dollar that you spend and double points for shoes, cosmetics, and fragrances. You also receive free shipping with no minimum purchase required. Once you earn 5,000 points, you’ll receive a $25 reward good on a future purchase.

CVS ExtraCare Program – Earn 2% in the form of ExtraBucks for $1 that you spend. You also receive personalized coupons on register receipts, at the coupon center, by email and snail mail, and with the CVS Pharmacy app.

DICK’s ScoreCard - Receive one point for every $1 that you spend at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Field and Stream, or Golf Galaxy. Once you reach 300 points, you’ll receive a $10 reward to use on a future purchase.

DSW Rewards Program - Receive 10 points for every $1 that you spend on shoes, bags, and accessories. Once you reach 250 points, you’ll receive a $10 reward to use on a future purchase.

JCPenney Rewards – Receive a $10 reward for every 200 points. Earn one point for every dollar spent when you use your JCPenney credit card ($1 = 1 point). Or, earn one point for every $2 spent with any other method of payment ($2 = 1 point).

Kohl’s Yes2You Rewards - Receive one point for every $1 spent no matter how you pay. Once you reach 100 points, you’ll receive a $5 reward to use on a future purchase.

Neiman Marcus InCircle – Receive two InCircle points for virtually every dollar spent using your Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf-Goodman credit cards. Once you earn 10,000 points, you’ll receive a $100 reward for future purchases. You also receive 5,000 bonus InCircle points when you open a credit card account and make a purchase all in the same day.

Nordstrom Notes – Earn one point for every dollar spent at Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack. Once you reach 2,000 points, you’ll receive a $20 reward.

Office Depot Office Max Rewards – Get 2% cash back on all merchandise. You also receive $2 in rewards when you recycle your ink and toner cartridges.

Petco Pals – Get a $5 reward for every $100 that you spend.

Sephora Beauty Insiders earn one point for every $1 spent which can redeemed for free beauty samples.

Target REDCard – Get 5% off at the register and free shipping on qualifying orders at Target.com.

Walgreens Balance Rewards – Earn 10 points for every dollar that you spend plus bonus points on featured items that change weekly. You can also get rewarded for making healthy choices like walking, managing your weight, tracking your blood pressure, and more. Once you reach 5,000 points, you’ll receive a $5 reward.

West Elm Rewards Program (The Key) - This loyalty program gives rewards on seven brands including Mark and Graham, PBteen, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma, and Williams-Sonoma Home. Shop at any of their seven brands and earn 3% back in rewards on all purchases.

Cold Stone Creamery – Join the eClub and receive two Creations for the price of one. You also receive a coupon for a free Creation for your birthday.

Counter Burger – Receive 10 points for every $1 that you spend, 200 points just for registering your card, and 300 points for referring a friend to the program. Once you earn 600 points, you’ll receive a $5 reward. You also receive free fries when you register and a free birthday shake.

David’s Tea – Receive one point for every dollar that you spend ($1 = 1 point). For every 100 points you earn, you’ll get 50g of any tea for free.

Dunkin’ Donuts – Earn five points for every dollar that you spend ($1 = 5 points). You also receive a free beverage when you sign up, on your birthday, and for every 200 points that you earn.

Firehouse Subs - Firehouse Rewards - Earn rewards by entering your phone number at the register every time you make a purchase at Firehouse Subs. You'll earn 1 point for every $0.01 you spend. Collect enough points and you can exchange them for great rewards like free subs, meal upgrades, and more.

Sign up and get a free large drink with sub purchase.

You can use their app to:

Order in-app and access your recent orders

Manage your points and rewards

Find nearby Firehouse Subs locations

Play their game for bonus points

Receive a birthday reward on your birthday

Jamba (Juice) Insider Rewards – Receive one point for every $1 that you spend ($1 = 1 point). Once you earn 35 points, you can trade them in for $3 off your next purchase. You also receive $3 just for signing up with them as well as a free smoothie or juice on your birthday.

Moe’s Southwest Grill - Receive a free cup of queso just for signing up with their program and one point for every $1 that you spend ($1 = 1 point). Once you earn 1,000 points, you can trade them in for a $10 credit off your next purchase. You’ll also receive a free birthday burrito every year.

Pizza Hut Rewards – Receive two points for every $1 that you spend on Pizza Hut orders ($1 = 2 points). Once you earn 200 points, you can trade them in for a free medium size pizza with any toppings that you like. Once you earn 250 points, you can trade them in for a free large pizza with any toppings that you like.

Starbucks Rewards – You can earn stars (points) with either a card or an app. Receive two stars for every $1 spent and a free beverage for every 125 stars that you earn. You also receive a free birthday drink.

Tasti D-Lite (frozen desserts chain) – Receive one point for every $1 that you spend. Once you earn 50 points ($50 = 50 points), you’ll receive a free medium cup or cone.

TGI Fridays - Earn one “stripe” for every $1 spent. You can “redeem 50 stripes for a free dessert, 80 for a free sandwich or burger, 100 for an $8 coupon or seafood/chicken entree, and 150 for a steak or ribs entrée.”

Miscellaneous rewards programs:

Amazon Rewards Visa (from Chase) – Receive up to 5% cash back on qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. (Be sure to pay your balance in full each month and never take cash advances on the card.)

Amtrak Guest Rewards – Earn two points for every dollar spent on Amtrak travel ($1 = 2 points). You also receive 500 bonus points if you travel within 90 days of joining the program. Once you receive 800 points, you can start redeeming your points for free Amtrak travel.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa Card - Receive a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. (Again, be sure to pay your balance in full each month and never take cash advances on the card.)

Delta SkyMiles - Earn up to five miles per dollar spent and receive 3,000 SkyMiles as a sign-up bonus.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards - Earn one point for every $1 spent on rental charges. Once you earn 550 points, you’ll be eligible for a free weekend day.

Lassus Handy Dandy Rewards – Receive 500 points just for signing up. Receive 10 points for every gallon of gas paid for at the pump and 20 points for every dollar spent in the store. The points you earn can be used for gas discounts as well as for gift cards and merchandise. This program is similar to Speedway’s.

Marriott Rewards - Join Marriott Rewards and earn a free night with two paid stays at any participating hotel between 9/11/2017 and 1/28/2018.

Speedy Rewards – Earn 20 points per dollar spent for in-store purchases and 10 points per dollar spent at the pump. Points can be redeemed for free stuff like food, beverages, or fuel discounts.

Wyndham Rewards - Here is an overview of Wyndham Rewards’ four status levels:

Target REDcard Debit Card (To join this program, you must present a voided check to the Target team member.)

The Home Depot

Ulta Beauty

Walgreens Balance Rewards Program

West Elm - This loyalty program gives rewards on seven brands including Mark and Graham, PBteen, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma, and Williams-Sonoma Home. According to WestElm.com

Grocery store rewards programs:

A&P Fresh Club Card

Baker's

Bi-Lo Bonus Card

Big Y Express Savings Club Card and Silver Savings Club Card

Brookshire’s Thank You Card

Buehler’s Advantage Card

Carrs/Safeway Plus Club Card

City Market

Coco's

CountryMart My CountryMart Rewards Card

D&W Fresh Market yes Rewards

Dillons

Earl of Sandwich

Family Fare Yes Rewards

Food City ValuCard

Food Emporium

Food Lion MVP Card

Food4Less Plus Reward’s Card

Foodtown

Fred Meyer Rewards Card

Fry’s VIP Card

Gerbes Plus Shopper’s Card

Giant Eagle Advantage Card

Giant Food Card

Giant Food Stores Bonuscard

Glen's Markets Yes Rewards

Hard Times Cafe

Harris Teeter VIC

Homeland Stores One Card

Ingles Advantage Savings & Reward Card

Jay C Plus Shopper’s Card

King Soopers SooperCard

Kroger Plus Card

Lowes Foods Fresh Rewards Card

Martin’s Advantage Card

Meijer MPerks

Owen’s Plus Card

Panchero's Mexican Grill

Pathmark PERKS Club Card

Pavilions ValuePlus Club Card

Pay Less Supermarkets Plus Card

Piggly Wiggly Pig Card

Price Chopper AdvantEdge Card

QFC Advantage Card

Ralph’s Rewards Card

Randalls Remarkable Club Card

Safeway Club Card

Shop ‘n Save Perks

ShopRite Price Plus Club Card

ShurFine Supermarkets Gold Card

ShurSave Gold Card

Smith’s Rewards Card

Stop & Shop Card

SuperFresh my+REWARDS Card

Tom Thumb Reward Card

Tops Markets Bonus Card

VG's Grocery yes Rewards

Vons VonsClub Card

Waldbaum’s my+Rewards Card

Wegmans Shoppers Club Card

Weis Shoppers Club Card

Winn-Dixie Rewards with Plenti

Restaurants, pizza shops, coffeehouses, etc.:

Abuelo's

Auntie Anne's Pretzels

BJs Brewhouse Premier Rewards

Backyard Burgers

Bar Louie

Black Angus Steakhouse

Bob Evans

Brenner’s Steakhouse Rewards

Brio Tuscan Grille – My Brio Rewards

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Rewards

Buffalo Wild Wings

Burger King

California Pizza Kitchen

California Tortilla Burrito Elito

Caribou Coffee

Champs Americana MVP League

Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse Handshake Club

Chart House Rewards

Cheese Burger in Paradise Board Club

Chick-fil-A

Chili's

Churchill’s Pub

Cinnabon

Cold Stone Creamery

Copeland’s of New Orleans Lagniappe Club

Corner Bakery Café

Crave Loyalty

Cups Frozen Yogurt

Dairy Queen

Dave and Busters Rewards

David's Tea

Davinci Group Frequent Diner Club

Del Frisco’s Steak House Rewards

Del Taco

Domino's Pizza

Don Pablos Habeneros Club

Duffy’s Sports Grill MVP

Dunkin' Donuts

Elephant Bar

Erbert and Gerbert’s Sandwich Society

Farrelli’s Pizza Fire Club

Firehouse Subs - Firehouse Rewards

Fox and Hound All Star Club

Freebirds Fanatic Rewards

Fuddruckers

Gastronomy Frequent Diner

Genghis Grill Khan’s Reward Kard

Gordon Biersch Passport Rewards

Grotto Pizza Swirl Rewards

HWY 55 Burgers

Hard Rock Rewards

Houlihan's

Hurricane Grill and Wings Flavor Rewards

IHOP

Jersey Mike's Subs

J.P. Licks Cow Card

Jamba Juice

Kabuki Japanese Restaurant Red Mask Club

Kings Family Restaurants Royal Rewards

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse Kobe Rewards

Krispy Creme

La Tasca Viva! News & Rewards

LaMotta’s Italian – Belly Rewards

Levy Restaurants

Max & Ermas Good Neighbor Rewards

McCormick & Schmicks Rewards

McDonald's

Mellow Mushroom Beer Club

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Morton’s The Steakhouse

My Loyal Family Rewards

My Starbucks Rewards

Native Foods Café

Noodles and Company

Old Chicago World Beer Tour

Outback Steakhouse My Outback Rewards

Ox & Pen Chicago

P.F. Changs Warrior Rewards

Pacifica Seafood Rewards

Panera Bread

Panera Bread My Panera

Papa Gino’s Rewards/D’Angelo’s Rewards

Papa Johns Papa Rewards

Phillip’s Seafood Friend’s of Phillips

Pink Berry

Pita Pit Pit Card

Pizza Ranch Rewards

Qdoba Rewards

Raising Cane's

Red Mango Club Mango

Red Robin Red Royalty Rewards

Rita’s Italian Ice

Rock Bottom Rock Rewards

Ruby’s Diner Jitterbug Club

Rusty Pelican Rewards

Salad Works

Schlotzksy's

Smokey Bones Bones Club

Sonic

Specialty Restaurants Loyalty Club

Subway

Sullivan’s Steakhouse Rewards

Sweet Green

TGI Friday’s Gimme More Stripes

Taco Bell

Taco Cabana

Tumbleweed Tex Mex Grill My Tumble Bucks

Travel rewards:

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

American Airlines Aadvantage

Amtrak Rewards

Delta Skymiles

FREE Spirit

Frontier EarlyReturns

Hawaiianmiles

Jetblue Trueblue

Southwest Rapid Rewards

United Mileageplus

Virgin America Elevate

Hotel rewards:

AMC Stubs

Best Western Rewards

Choice Priveleges

Club Carlson

Fairmont President's Club

Hilton Honors

Hyatt Gold Passport

IHG Rewards Club

Intercontinental Hotels Priority Club Rewards

Kimpton Karma Rewards

LaQuinta Returns

LeClub AccorHotels

Leaders Club

Loews YouFirst

Marriott Rewards

National Car Rental Emerald Club

Omni Select Guest

Regal Cinemas' Crown Club

Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Starwood Preferred Guest

Stash Hotel Rewards

Wyndham Rewards

Car rental rewards:

Alamo Insiders

Avis Preferred

Budget Business Program

Dollar Express Renter Rewards

Enterprise Plus

Hertz Gold Plus

National Emerald Club

Thrifty Blue Chip Rewards

Entertainment rewards:

Regal Cinemas' Crown Club

Starpass Rewards

StubHub

Gas station rewards:

BP Driver Rewards

Certified Oil Rewards

Exxon and Mobil Return and Earn Rewards

Irving Rewards

Lassus Handy Dandy Rewards

Shell Fuel Rewards Network

Speedy Rewards

Sunoco APlus Rewards

Bank debit card rewards:

Bank of America Debit Card

Bank of Internet Visa Debit Card

Capital Bank CashBack Checking

Chase Disney Visa Debit Card

Chime Visa Debit Card

Discover Cashback Checking

First National Bank Checking

Fulton Bank Visa Debit Card

KeyBank Debit Card

Mechanics Bank Debit Rewards

PayPal Business Debit Card

Business card programs:

Amex OPEN

Mastercard Easy Savings

Visa Savings Edge

50+ Ways to Earn Extra Money Without Getting Another Job

Creating multiple streams of income can have a major impact on your finances. Even an extra $500 every month can go a long way to reduce debt or increase your retirement account. Here are over 50 ways to earn extra income without getting anoyjrt job:

Answer questions online.

Babysit.

Bank for profit. Many banks--on and offline--offer cash incentives for opening new accounts.

Become a TV extra, a freelance writer, a holiday staffer, a lifeguard, a mystery or personal shopper, a tour guide, a translator, or an affiliate marketer.

Sell your crafts. Mary Hunt explains: "Do you knit? Make jewelry? Sew? If so, there are lots of opportunities to sell handmade wares online. As a member of Etsy (Etsy.com), you’ll have your own online store to showcase your items. It’s free to become an Etsy seller, but you’ll pay a fee of 20¢ to list an item with up to five photos for four months. When the item sells, you pay a 3.5 percent commission to Etsy. There’s no limit to how much you can charge, and what you earn is based on how your crafts sell."

Donate plasma, sperm, or blood.

Get paid for your time online. Check out Volition.com for a list of companies to consider.

Get paid to watch television.

Have a garage sale.

Have your car wrapped.

If you are a CVS customer, join the CVS Advisor Panel. You can earn up to $10 in Extra Care Bucks for participating in a single survey.

If you’re a webmaster, sign up for Google AdSense or AdSense alternatives such as Chitika.

Sell your collectibles online. Kiplinger.com tells us that perhaps you collected baseball cards, stamps, or coins when you were young, and now they’re just collecting dust. But they might be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. One place to get top dollar for your collectibles and small items of value is eBay.

Sign up for clinical trials. DailyFinance.com points out that “Most large universities have ongoing medical research projects evaluating the efficacy of new medicines and treatments. As part of this evaluation, they often need 'volunteers' on which to test these medications. Since the pool of willing volunteers is limited, cash compensation for the volunteer's cooperation is sometimes provided, ranging from a few hundred dollars up to four figures."

Start a blog.

Test web sites.

Tutor kids and adults.

Use your home as a film set.

Walk dogs or be a pet sitter.

Write an e-book.

Write software reviews.

Write, edit, and proofread documents.

Free Museum Admission:

Bank of America cardholders can receive free admission to more than 150 museums on the first full weekend of every month. Here are some examples:

Atlanta - Atlanta History Center, High Museum of Art, Center for Civil and Human Rights

New York City - American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Historical Society, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Museum of Arts and Design, Museum of the Moving Image, Staten Island Zoological Society, The Metropolitan Museum of Art - The Met Breuer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art - The Met Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art - The Met Fifth Avenue, The Museum of Modern Art

Oakland, CA – Oakland Museum of California

Oklahoma City - National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Orlando - Orange County Regional History Center, Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, The Mennello Museum of American Art

Palm Springs – Palm Springs Art Museum

Palm Desert – The Living Desert

Philadelphia - African American Museum in Philadelphia, National Constitution Center, National Museum of American Jewish History, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art

According to Bank of America, “Free general admission is limited to the cardholder at participating institution. Museum hours and participation varies. Excludes special exhibitions, ticketed shows and fundraising events. Not to be combined with other offers.”

Free Software and Computer Stuff:

1. For a listing of locations that offer free Wi-Fi, go to WiFiFreeSpot.com.

2. Get free round-the-clock computer help at TechGuy.org.

3. For a free alphabetizer, go to Alphabetizer.flap.tv.

4. Download over 500,000 free e-books at Bookshare.org.

5. Get a free spam filter for Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, and Windows Live Mail at Spamfighter.com.

6. In alphabetical order, here are five of the best free email providers for 2017:

Gmail

Outlook.com

ProtonMail

Yandex.Mail

Zoho27.

7. Here is some of the best free software for writers:

FocusWriter

WriteMonkey

Scribus29. Get freebies for Halloween and Christmas at TheFreeSite.com.

8. For free antivirus software, go to Adaware.com. Please note that this software cannot be used on a Google Chromebook. Can a Chromebook get a virus? According to Google:

Rest assured . . . that it is nearly impossible for a Chromebook to be infected by an actual virus. Chrome OS is one of the most secure (if not THE most secure) operating systems on the market. This is due mostly to the fact that Chrome OS does not allow you to install ANY programs (hard to install a virus when you can’t install anything), but is also due in large part to the operating system’s Verified Boot solution. Google also releases official updates to Chrome OS every 6 weeks (and some unofficial ones in between) that bring new features, and security updates.

3. Read newspapers online. You can save up to $2.50 for the weekday version and up to $5.00 for the Sunday edition. In addition, OnlineNewspapers.com is a directory of thousands of newspapers listed by country and region. Many of these newspapers can be read online.

4. There are 398 national parks in the United States. At least 265 of them have free admission.

16. Make an appointment with an HR rep and find out about all the benefits you are eligible to receive. For example, you might be entitled to free baseball or amusement park tickets.

17. Here are some of the best web sites for free and high-quality investment information:

Investopedia.com

MarketWatch.com

Morningstar.com

SeekingAlpha.com

StockCharts.com

Yahoo Finance

(Author's note: You should always consult with a financial advisor prior to investing.)

18. Enroll in free and self-paced online business classes at SBA.gov.

19. If you need to brush up on everyday math skills, go to Math.com. Here is part of their mission statement: “Math.com is dedicated to providing revolutionary ways for students, parents, teachers, and everyone to learn math. Combining educationally sound principles with proprietary technology, Math.com offers a unique experience that quickly guides the user to the solutions they need and the products they want. These solutions include assessment, on-demand modular courses that target key math concepts, 24/7 live online tutoring, and expert answers to math questions.”28. SeniorDiscounts.com is where senior citizens and people 55+ can find free deals on everything from prescription drug costs to public transit to tax preparation.

20. Get freebies for Mother"s Day, Halloween, and Christmas at TheFreeSite.com.

21. At SeniorDiscounts.com, people 55+ can find free deals on everything from public transit to tax preparation to cellphones.

22. If you have a Discover Card, be sure to sign up for Discover’s free service that alerts you if they find your Social Security number on any of thousands of risky websites. Discover also alerts you if any new “credit cards, mortgages, car loans, or other accounts are opened on your Experian credit report.”

23. Courtesy of ValueMags.com, here are 39 free magazine subscriptions that you can get right now. ValueMags.com points out that all of their free magazine subscriptions come with no strings attached. You do not have to give a credit card number and you will never get billed.

25. For a free online grammar checker, go to VirtualWritingTutor.com. Here are some of the features:

Word counter

Spell checker

Grammar checker

Punctuation checker

Vocabulary checker

Paraphrase checker

26. To receive $50,000 of free identity theft protection, go to CreditSesame.com. No credit card is needed and there are no trials or commitments. Credit Sesame also provides you with free credit scores, a free credit report card, and free credit monitoring. However, they do not offer free credit reports.

Questions & Answers

Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience.

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